The Summit:
The Manhattan Transfer Meets Take 6
Thursday, March 17, 2022, 7:30pm
Zellerbach Hall
The Manhattan Transfer
Janis Siegel
Cheryl Bentyne
Alan Paul
Trist Curless
Take 6
Claude McKnight
Alvin Chea
David Thomas
Mark Kibble
Joel Kibble
Khristian Dentley
Trio
Yaron Gershovsky, piano
Boris Kozlov, bass
Ross Pederson, drums
This performance will last 75 to 90 minutes and be performed without an intermission.
From the Executive and Artistic Director
Welcome to another busy weekend at Cal Performances! On Thursday evening, the combined vocal forces of the Manhattan Transfer and Take 6 (Mar 17)—10 voices with 20 Grammys between them—will fill Zellerbach Hall with their trademark crystalline harmonies, stirring gospel rhythms, and soaring melodies. The bands’ current tour is a hit with audiences and critics alike, with a recent concert in Maryland praised as “an explosion, in gale wind proportions, of musical enjoyment, creative genius, vocal excellence and a boatload of fun” (DC Metro).
Next, acclaimed choreographer Michelle Dorrance and her company Dorrance Dance (Mar 18–19) arrive in town with a program that demonstrates how powerfully movement and music can be entwined in the bodies of expert dancers. Dorrance’s brilliant SOUNDspace, adapted on this occasion for the unique qualities of Zellerbach Playhouse, soars as a powerful tribute to the history and legacy of tap dancing and features both Dorrance’s own choreography and solo improvisation by company members. This remarkable program reminds us that “If the idea of tap dance makes you think of stale musicals from the early 20th century, Michelle Dorrance is eager to shatter your assumptions” (Broadway World Washington).
Finally, in a true season highlight, the mighty London Symphony Orchestra (Mar 20), under the direction of luminary conductor Sir Simon Rattle, provides an afternoon of unsurpassed symphonic music on Sunday afternoon at Zellerbach Hall. The wide-ranging program is almost an embarrassment of riches, packed with masterworks by Berlioz, Sibelius, Bartók, and Ravel, along with a more recent audience favorite, The Spark Catchers, by the brilliant British composer Hannah Kendall. Trust me—in terms of memorable symphonic music, it doesn’t get better than this.
March marks the time of year that traditionally finds Cal Performances operating on all cylinders. From now through the beginning of May, the remainder of our 2021–22 season is filled with adventurous programming. You won’t want to miss…
- pianist extraordinaire Mitsuko Uchida playing and directing Mozart with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (Mar 27)
- the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Mar 29 – Apr 3), returning to Zellerbach Hall for the first time since the initial pandemic shutdown in 2020; this year’s Ailey programs—featuring more than a dozen works from the company’s legendary repertory—have only recently been announced, so make sure to check our website for details
- the renowned English Baroque Soloists with conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner in a transfixing program of works by Mozart and Haydn (Apr 10)
- Angélique Kidjo, our 2021–22 artist-in-residence, in her new music-theater piece Yemandja (a much-anticipated Cal Performances co-commission and Illuminations event, Apr 23).
Fasten your seatbelts; we have all of this—plus much more—in store for you!
We’re very proud of our updated winter brochure and know that a few minutes spent reviewing our schedule—in print or online—will reveal a wealth of options for your calendar; now is the perfect time to guarantee that you have the best seats for all the events you plan to attend.
I know you join us in looking forward to what lies ahead, and to coming together once again to encounter the life-changing experiences that only the live performing arts deliver. We can’t wait to share it all with you during the coming months.
Jeremy Geffen
Executive and Artistic Director, Cal Performances
P.S. – Stay tuned for exciting news about our brilliant 2022–23 season, to be announced in April!
Welcome to another busy weekend at Cal Performances! On Thursday evening, the combined vocal forces of the Manhattan Transfer and Take 6 (Mar 17)—10 voices with 20 Grammys between them—will fill Zellerbach Hall with their trademark crystalline harmonies, stirring gospel rhythms, and soaring melodies. The bands’ current tour is a hit with audiences and critics alike, with a recent concert in Maryland praised as “an explosion, in gale wind proportions, of musical enjoyment, creative genius, vocal excellence and a boatload of fun” (DC Metro).
Next, acclaimed choreographer Michelle Dorrance and her company Dorrance Dance (Mar 18–19) arrive in town with a program that demonstrates how powerfully movement and music can be entwined in the bodies of expert dancers. Dorrance’s brilliant SOUNDspace, adapted on this occasion for the unique qualities of Zellerbach Playhouse, soars as a powerful tribute to the history and legacy of tap dancing and features both Dorrance’s own choreography and solo improvisation by company members. This remarkable program reminds us that “If the idea of tap dance makes you think of stale musicals from the early 20th century, Michelle Dorrance is eager to shatter your assumptions” (Broadway World Washington).
Finally, in a true season highlight, the mighty London Symphony Orchestra (Mar 20), under the direction of luminary conductor Sir Simon Rattle, provides an afternoon of unsurpassed symphonic music on Sunday afternoon at Zellerbach Hall. The wide-ranging program is almost an embarrassment of riches, packed with masterworks by Berlioz, Sibelius, Bartók, and Ravel, along with a more recent audience favorite, The Spark Catchers, by the brilliant British composer Hannah Kendall. Trust me—in terms of memorable symphonic music, it doesn’t get better than this.
March marks the time of year that traditionally finds Cal Performances operating on all cylinders. From now through the beginning of May, the remainder of our 2021–22 season is filled with adventurous programming. You won’t want to miss…
- pianist extraordinaire Mitsuko Uchida playing and directing Mozart with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (Mar 27)
- the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Mar 29 – Apr 3), returning to Zellerbach Hall for the first time since the initial pandemic shutdown in 2020; this year’s Ailey programs—featuring more than a dozen works from the company’s legendary repertory—have only recently been announced, so make sure to check our website for details
- the renowned English Baroque Soloists with conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner in a transfixing program of works by Mozart and Haydn (Apr 10)
- Angélique Kidjo, our 2021–22 artist-in-residence, in her new music-theater piece Yemandja (a much-anticipated Cal Performances co-commission and Illuminations event, Apr 23).
Fasten your seatbelts; we have all of this—plus much more—in store for you!
We’re very proud of our updated winter brochure and know that a few minutes spent reviewing our schedule—in print or online—will reveal a wealth of options for your calendar; now is the perfect time to guarantee that you have the best seats for all the events you plan to attend.
I know you join us in looking forward to what lies ahead, and to coming together once again to encounter the life-changing experiences that only the live performing arts deliver. We can’t wait to share it all with you during the coming months.
Jeremy Geffen
Executive and Artistic Director, Cal Performances
P.S. – Stay tuned for exciting news about our brilliant 2022–23 season, to be announced in April!
About the Artists
Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, The Manhattan Transfer continues to set the standard as one of the world’s most innovative vocal groups with their unique blend of pop, jazz, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, swing, and a cappella music. Founded by the late Tim Hauser in 1972, the group features Janis Siegel (alto), Alan Paul (tenor), Cheryl Bentyne (soprano), and newcomer Trist Curless (bass), who replaced Hauser following his passing in 2014.
The Manhattan Transfer has defied categories to win 10 Grammy Awards and sell millions of records worldwide. They became the first act to win in the pop and jazz categories in the same year, taking home Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Boy From New York City” and Best Jazz Performance Duo or Group for “Until I Met You (Corner Pocket)” in 1981. In 1985, their album Vocalese earned 12 Grammy nominations.
Take 6, heralded by Quincy Jones as the “baddest vocal cats on the planet,” is the quintessential a capella group and a model for vocal genius. Six virtuosic voices united in crystal-clear harmony, against a backdrop of syncopated rhythms, innovative arrangements, and funky grooves that bubble into an intoxicating brew of gospel, jazz, R&B, and pop. With praise from such luminaries as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Brian Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Whitney Houston, Take 6 is recognized as one of today’s pre-eminent a capella groups.
With the popularity of televised vocal competitions and singing-driven comedy-dramas like Glee and Smash, Take 6 is the original torchbearer. Two major recent events reminded everyone of this as Take 6 triumphed among a gathering of stars including Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, Justin Timberlake, and Stevie Nicks. At Walmart’s 50th anniversary celebration, Take 6 captivated the audience with its rendition of the Louis Armstrong hit “What A Wonderful World.” The group then closed the show with Ladysmith Black Mambazo to a standing ovation. Two weeks later at the behest of legendary Producer Phil Ramone, Take 6 thrilled a sold-out audience at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards, performing with and honoring legendary singer-songwriter Ben E. King on his classic “Stand By Me.”